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Book Review of The Great Stink

The Great Stink
canadianeh avatar reviewed on + 242 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


A most unusual Victorian mystery, with Dickensian undertones. In the 1860s a program was underway beneath the streets of London: the labyrinth of sewers was being transformed into an engineering wonder. The building of this marvel of industrialization is the backdrop for a murder; the project is a tale of corruption; the main character is a man damaged by his wartime experiences, in desperate straits, like many of his countrymen. I thought the characters carried this tale as much as the stench and the rats. Not for the squeamish, but splendidly written and fascinating to read.